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Owen Davies

This Very Short Introduction explores the meaning of paganism from the ancient world to the present day through a chronological overview of attitudes towards its practices and ...
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This Very Short Introduction explores the meaning of paganism from the ancient world to the present day through a chronological overview of attitudes towards its practices and beliefs. Despite the expansion of Christianity and Islam, Pagan cultures continue to exist around the world, whilst in the West new formations of paganism constitute one of the fastest-growing religions. Focusing on paganism in Europe, but exploring the nature of paganism globally, this VSI looks at how Europeans discovered new cultures through colonial expansion, missionary work, and anthropological study. Contemporary social paganism can be a liberating and social force, and the idea of a global Pagan theology is now on the religious map.Less

Philip Sheldrake

Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction explores the historical foundations of spirituality and considers how it came to have the significance it is developing today. It has ...
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Spirituality: A Very Short Introduction explores the historical foundations of spirituality and considers how it came to have the significance it is developing today. It has been suggested that ‘spirituality’ has become a word that ‘can define an era’. Why? Because paradoxically, alongside a decline in traditional religious affiliations, the growing interest in spirituality is a striking aspect of contemporary western cultures. Spirituality refers to the deepest values and sense of meaning by which people seek to live. Sometimes these values are conventionally religious. Sometimes they are associated with what is understood as ‘the sacred’ in a broader sense — that is, of ultimate rather than merely instrumental importance.Less

Malcolm Gaskill

Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction explores why witches still feature so heavily in our cultures and consciousness. From childhood most of us develop a sense of the ...
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Witchcraft: A Very Short Introduction explores why witches still feature so heavily in our cultures and consciousness. From childhood most of us develop a sense of the mysterious, malign person, usually an old woman. Tracing the history of witchcraft from the ancient world to contemporary paganism, this VSI reveals how it has meant different things to different people and that in every age it has raised questions about the distinction between fantasy and reality, faith and proof. It uses stories, court records, and myths to examine the witch-hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and explores the reinvention of witchcraft — as history, religion, fiction, and metaphor.Less